Unless the course is designed to be attractive and interesting, with good visuals and graphics it will be too boring for the student. Without good graphics the lesson is Death by Powerpoint.
It is important to have a visually appealing online course to maintain the students attention span. If the course looks sloppy and the instrucotr obviously put forth little effort, the students will put forth little effort in the course as well.
I have recently incorporated some YouTube links for my students to review how to do a task. The beauty of YouTube is that the students can repeat the video as many times as necessary and there is someone talking to them which helps the audio learners.
However, taking an online course students - technology savvy or not - need to feel that they can either hone their skills or acquire the skills necessary to be successful in the course.
If the student does not "feel safe" in the online course then he/she may be hesitant to participate. Also, the student needs to be able to believe that they are competent and that their responses will be respected.
I agree. Living in a world that is fast pace, forever changing, and having the comfort of being in your home getting your work done, students want to be able to access and locate information easily. If the online course is user-friendly, students are able to be relaxed and not feel frustrated.
I definitely agree. I know just in my experience how many times I have chosen a particular program or company based on their web material and how informative or non-informative it was. Also decisions are made based on how user friendly it is, if it was clear, consice, and easy to find/access inforamtion. When the online interface/design has many of the above elements it will help decrease attrition and frustration thus keepign students more engaged and feel more successful.
On a thread by another student, she discussed the importance of "affect" or "feelings" in learning. Motivation definitely falls into this area. Students with positive feelings and emotions associated with a course are more likely to learn more and be successful. Exciting a student and/or piquing his/her interest to learn, especially early in the course, is imperative in any class situation,whether online or traditional ground based.
I like how you added movitating...very important.
Upon entering an online course environment for the first time, students should initially see a clean and well designed user interface; one that is intuitive and inviting. The first impression should encompass navigation and ease of use. Students do not want to wade through long explanations and directions in order to progress through a course. They need to be able to immediately orient themselves to the interface and follow a well structured path through the content. This design will allow students to concentrate on learning material and not worry about learning interfaces or confusing navigation tools.
By providing a clean, motivating, and easily navigable online interface, students will have a better first impression of the course which will lead to higher class retention levels and improved mastery of learning objectives.
The look and feel of an online course is as important as the knowledge and skills it is designed to impart. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
I most certainly agree with this statement. I've found some applications for online learning to be sloppy and confusing to navigate, not only for the students but for the instructors as well. If the student, or the instructor for that matter, has a hard time navigating through the system then they'll simply not bother.
I read through some of the responses and discussions that spawned off of this question, and I have to agree with what a lot of people said. The online course needs to be as easy to navigate as Amazon or Facebook, because that's what the public is used to. If the interface is confusing, they'll quit before they even get a chance to see what the content is.
What do you think students would like to see as a first impression?
I do agree with this comment. First impressions are vital in promoting an engaging learning environment. The look and feel of an online course will invite students to learn, promote deeper and more reflective thinking, and motivate students to be more engaged in the content and more open to collaborative activities.
The look and feel will go a long way in reducing learning frustration and confusion. The design of the online course must replace the immediate feedback of an in-class instructor who is able to answer questions immediately. Proper design will allow a learner to navigate through a course and progress through the content independently. Proper design will also provide timely feedback and strategic interaction from the instructor. Together, these design attributes will produce a cohesive learning environment that promotes learning and allows the learner the opportunity to focus on the content and skill rather than on navigation and technology usage.
I agree. Students need to not only obtain the necessary knowledge from the course, but they need to be able to do so in a way that will best faciliate their learning. If information is difficult to find or assignments are embedded in disorganized content it can create frustration and enable learning.
Look and feel of an online course is a vital component of the learning process and is just as important as the knowledge and skills it is designed to impart. Ultimately, a student pursues a an education to acquire the skills necessary to achieve their academic and career aspirations. However, from a retention perspective, students must be able to easily navigate the learning platform. If students experience difficulty in accessing information they may become frustrated with the learning process. Students seek an online education due to many extenuating circumstances. As for instructors, it is our job to ensure students are receiving the information they need to be successful.
I definitely agree! In my opinion, organization is the key to facilitating any online course. As an instructor, we must become familiar with the syllabus, approach the course from the student’s perspective and anticipate any complications. This ensures that all assignments, deadlines and expectations are clearas well as understood. I can compare an online course to my desk. When papers are everyhwere, I feel confused and overwhelmed. On the other hand, when all papers are in their proper place, I feel comfortable and ready to work!
I would agree. If the information is set up in a confusing and illogical manner it will only create frustration for the student. If a student is frustrated before any learning takes place, it is going to be a difficult class. First impressions are critical even in the online environment. If a student's first impression of a course is one of frustration and discouragement, they are less likely to participate to the level that they would need to in order to fully benefit from the course.
I agree with this statement. In many ways "look and feel" are not really measurable. However, an online course with a favorable "look and feel" creates a comfortable environment for the student. If the student is comfortable with the delivery system, more attention may be focused on the material.
I think that the look and feel should, to some degree, follow internet marketing research, especially marekted to the deomgraphics of the class. At the very least they should be taken into consideration when designing the course.
I think both are necessary. For example, In my online classes I provide games (crossword puzzles,etc.) for kinesthetic learners and I have students conduct interviews (auditory). Content reading/computer reading covers the visual learners method.
Susan
